Greenpeace hand out photograph showing Greenpeace activists from 7 countries gathered in Nazca, Peru during a protest in the framework of the UN climate talks on December 8, 2014. (AFP/Greenpeace) / AFP

Peru is to press charges against Greenpeace activists after damage caused to a UN World Heritage site – the Nazca lines – during mass action to raise the profile of the group.

The group left their footprints in the sand during the stunt,
according to a top government official.

“It's a true slap in the face at everything Peruvians
consider sacred,” Deputy Culture Minister Luis Jaime
Castillo said after Greenpeace took the action on Monday,
reported AP.

Greenpeace unfurled a giant banner at the beginning of the week
reading “TIME FOR CHANGE / THE FUTURE IS RENEWABLE /
GREENPEACE”. It had set it up next to the hummingbird-shaped
formation.

Entrance to the area is “strictly prohibited”; the Nazca
culture was prevalent in the region between approximately 100 BC
to 800AD and the imaginary figures imprinted in the ground are
thought to have had astronomical functions.

Nonetheless, the banner was intended to be viewed by delegates
from some 190 countries, who had been attending climate change
talks in Lima.

Castillo said that charges of “attacking archaeological
monuments” would be pursued – these could potentially result
in six years imprisonment for the activists involved. The
government is additionally seeking to prevent the responsible
parties from leaving the country.

“They are absolutely fragile. They are black rocks on a white
background. You walk there and the footprint is going to last
hundreds or thousands of years,” Castillo said. “And the
line that they have destroyed is the most visible and most
recognized of all.”

Greenpeace spokeswoman Tina Loeffelbein told the agency that
Greenpeace members had been “absolutely careful to protect
the Nazca lines.” However, she added that the group was
taking the incident very seriously, but declined to mention
whether names of the members would be released to the general
public.

“Peru has nothing against the message of Greenpeace. We are
all concerned about climate change,” said Castillo. “But
the means doesn't justify the ends.”

Greenpeace has regularly incurred the wrath of governments and
corporations through their mass actions. In March, seven
activists were arrested for spreading out banners on the roof of
the headquarters of Procter & Gamble Co. in protest of their
usage of palm oil.

In December 2013, 30 Greenpeace activists, who were under
investigation over their protest at an Arctic oil rig that
September, were released from Russia in an amnesty, which was passed
to mark the 20th anniversary of the Russian Constitution. The
group, known as the “Arctic 30” were jailed after a protest at an
Arctic oil platform operated by Gazprom; the action was regarded
as an attack by authorities.